Let’s start with this fantastic new video for Motopony’s first single “King of Diamonds.” The music of Motopony – thanks to the principal collaboration between frontman Daniel Blue and producer/ keyboardist Buddy Ross – expands the possibilities of the singer/songwriter genre in a unique way reminiscent of The Postal Service and Frightened Rabbit. Simple, lyrically driven songs like “King of Diamonds,” “June,” and “God Damn Girl” propel forward with rich, creative backbeats and overdubs, resulting in some striking juxtapositions. Most […]

Seattle Weekly recently ran an article emphasizing that some of the best music in this town happens on Tuesday nights. As if to prove the point, a bunch of my buddies from the Conor Byrne open mic are playing a show down the street at the illustrious Tractor Tavern tonight! Up first will be Lowlands in full-band glory. As a duo, Tom Rorum and Joel Schuman have been one of my favorite acts at Conor Byrne. Like much of the […]

The story with Kris Orlowski’s upcoming EP, Kris Orlowski & the Passenger String Quartet at the Fremont Abbey, is less about him and more about about the process. A live/studio hybrid tracked in the Abbey’s great hall – mostly live but with limited overdubs – the EP strikes a balance between the loose, spontaneous feel of a concert and the attention to detail of a studio recording. Much like the Fremont Abbey’s nightly arts programming, this EP brings together some […]

It’s a long-ass way from Seattle to Chicago with not a whole lot of major cities in between. So it can be tough for independent musicians to brave the long drives that come with branching out from the West Coast into the mighty Midwest. We should support and celebrate them thoroughly when they take the plunge. This weekend, one of Seattle’s busiest artists – Shenandoah Davis – will be gracing Chicago with her presence. Davis is a beautiful singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, […]

Seattle music blog Sound on the Sound does not simply write about great local music; they help create great local music. They put on sold-out shows, they produce gorgeous music videos, they document magical live music experiences, and they do their damnedest to make sure great music rises above the fray and makes it to people’s turntables. Most of the bands I’ve interviewed in the last few months have credited much of their success to the support of Sound on […]

When I think of the last three months, I think of going to the Conor Byrne Open Mic every Sunday night. When I think of the Conor Byrne Open Mic, I think of Tony Kevin Jr. He was one of the first people I met there back in January. His three-song set that first night was so good that a few days later it compelled me to schlep down to Columbia City and pay $10 to see him open for […]

There is no better introduction to Pickwick than this video by Sound on the Sound as part of their Basement Sessions video series. Take some time with the first song “Hacienda Motel” before reading on… One of the oft-stated themes of this blog is “transition.” With most of the bands I’ve interviewed, that meant talking about transitioning from the garage to the stage, or from a local band to a national act. Pickwick, however, has gone through a much […]

I had a blast at the High Dive about a month ago for the Guerrilla Candy (Re)Launch Party! It’s a bummer about the cease-and-desist letter that blogger Travis Hay received, but “Ear Candy’s” relaunch as Guerrilla Candy provided a great excuse to showcase some great Seattle rock bands. Hosted by Brent Amaker, it was a night to remember. Here are my much-overdue first impressions on all four bands that played: MY GOODNESS When you see a duo with drums and […]

Since first buying their album back in August, I can’t stop (and won’t stop) raving about The Head and the Heart and what their music has meant to me. It was one of those special moments where it felt like an album was speaking both to and for me because it came to me at the perfect time. The themes of the album are the themes of this blog, the themes I’ve been thinking and feeling since I moved here. […]

This pretty much sums it up: I’m not in the mood for much flowery prose – plus I’m inspired by how freaking short their songs are – so I’m just going to lay out for you. Reasons Why I Like The Young Evils and their Debut Album Enchanted Chapel A Lot: It’s effing catchy. Mackenzie and Troy are effing cute, endearing, and super nice. The melodies are sweet and sugary like a guilty pleasure without any syrupy aftertaste. Every song […]

Hey! I’m Matt!

In May 2010, I moved to Seattle from Chicago. Back in Chicago I was the co-frontman of a pretty successful local band. Upon arriving in Seattle, however, I didn’t know anyone or anything about the local music scene.

This blog started as a means to explore music communities in Seattle, which was a huge personal success. From here on out it will be more personal – more of a creative outlet to help me dig into music that is affecting me. Thanks for reading and sharing these experiences with me. Read More…